Album Review: Amy Speace - There Used To Be Horses Here

 

www.amyspeace.com

Cast a look at Amy Speace's back catalogue and a regular occurrence sees Neilson Hubbard in the producing role. This is not an uncommon scenario in the Nashville singer-songwriter community, but an interesting deviation has occurred in a case of role reversal for this latest record from an artist bestowed with a glowing maturity. Rather than just produce the new Amy Speace album (she ably assists on that front), Hubbard and his two colleagues - Ben Glover and Joshua Britt - aka The Oprhan Brigade have their name plastered across the front cover and provide a stunning landscape for another supreme set of songs to bloom in full glory. 

The soundtrack which shimmers in grandeur and splendour is a key feature that separates THERE USED TO BE HORSES HERE and its predecessors. The constant of serenely curated songs has long been a staple of Amy Speace's work alongside a delivery that borders on theatrical. A suggested effect from her generic artistic background. The added inspirational dimension spilling out from contrasting events of a new born son and the death of a beloved father looms large in the eleven tracks providing the substance to the album; the odd one out being a cover of Warren Zevon's 'Don't Let Us Get Sick' rounding things off in the closing role. 

Before the finale is reached, the listener is treated to heaps of full on nostalgia featuring strongly in songs such as opener 'Down The Trail', title track and lead single 'There Used To Be Horses Here' and the self explanatory 'Father's Day'. While on the topic of explicit titles, you probably know what to expect from 'Grief is a Lonely Land' before the heartfelt tones pierce the sound waves with a surprising shot of therapy. 

Other key moments that fire up the impact of this album include the unmistakable voice of Ben Glover piping up on 'Hallelujah Train', the mandolin of Joshua Britt subtly beavering away in the background and some sumptuous strings occasionally filling the air. As we have come to expect, the extraordinary vocal command and control of Speace is omnipresent and forever injecting the appropriate degree of passion in each song. 

Any songs that rise to the summit of an Amy Speace album have to be special beasts giving the sheer high standard of her stock. Two particular tracks that leave a lasting impression lie in the latter stages with the ear pleasing duo of 'Give Me Love' and 'Shotgun Hearts'. The latter recalling an earlier stage of her professional life when New York and all its colours was home. 

As we roam from song to song with memories rich and varied, the soundtrack from The Orphan Brigade continues to illuminate the stage making this one of the premium releases to grace the market in the first few months of 2021. Amy Speace was one of the last American touring artists to visit the UK pre-pandemic including a long awaited Birmingham date. Despite this enforced gap of live interaction , the momentum built up from her growing appeal this side of the pond will only be boosted by the added presence of THERE USED TO BE HORSE HERE. While we wait for some resumption in this field, the beauty and prestige of a record swimming in excellence is there to be enjoyed on its pedestal and highly endorsed from these quarters. The trajectory of Amy Speace's work continues to soar and the term glowing maturity shows no sign of peaking any time soon. 

Album Review: Bob Bradshaw - The Ghost Light

 

www,bobbradshaw.net

The light on the album cover may have its origins in the theatre, but it plays a metaphorical role of guiding the eleven tracks on the latest Bob Bradshaw album through a murky existence to a safe haven of mission accomplished. Part-blues infused, part-rock strands, part-standard singer-songwriter fare, THE GHOST LIGHT flickers brightest when given a bit of space to breathe. It rumbles along like long a distance train in lengthy routine stints punctuated by a couple of peaks that raise its worth. 

From the positive vibes of bright upbeat opener 'Songs on the Radio' to the quirky closer 'Niagara Barrel Ride Blues', the highs crop up at unexpected interludes. Heading these are second track 'Dream' which really alters the pace from the opener in a contrasting and hazy way. Ethereal tendencies, faint steel and a gentle rolling feel describe this track that probably leads this album to the summit, although far from a sound that defines it. 

Much more in tune with what the full band operation sets out to do is represented in the re-energising mid-album track '21st Century Blues'. A pick me up number just as proceedings started to drift, this uptempo piece powers on from a rock inspired start and flourishes later with some decent guitar solos. Penultimate track 'In the Dark' is where the album rocks a little deeper, but for me its predecessor 'Light of the Moon' edges it in the appreciation stakes. 

Although THE GHOST LIGHT sees US based Irishman Bob Bradshaw in full band mode, you can envisage these songs having a chameleon existence when taken on the road in a stripped down front. That is for another day though as the first task of this album is to punch its weight in a crowded market. Once afforded a couple of isolated listens, the album uses the staunch bedrock of an archetypal Americana sound to make waves through a combination of spiked moments and a trusty songwriter on top of this game. 

Album Review: Cory Keefe - I'll Keep It Country

www.corykeefemusic.com

Cory Keefe keeps his eye firmly on the prize and claims a well-deserved reward with the release of an album that never loses sight of its ideal. The album title tells all you need to know and from the tones of opening track 'Deeper Well', a rich and well oiled country sound straight out of the eighties and nineties playbook keeps things chipper, honest and true to the heart of the bearer. I'LL KEEP IT COUNTRY doesn't tinker much with progressive themes, refrains from being innovative and knows the niche where it is heading. There is a space in the sonic landscape of country and Americana music for albums like this and its iconic sound spans a generation. 

Adorned with a sound that blends a smidgeon of cosmopolitan with the authenticity of fiddle, steel and conventional strings, this album gets a blessing from 20th century country chart topper Lorrie Morgan who shares vocals on blissful 'I Just Want You'. Apart from the usual battalion of songwriters assembled to hone in on what has been a successful formula in the past, Keefe keeps it in the family with his brother Dustin invited to duet on the aptly named 'Brotherly Way'. 

Despite country music being renowned for its sad song syndrome, Cory Keefe generally retains an air of positivity alongside a little wryness and obviously the inclusion of the obligatory beer song. Regardless of the stance taken or themes dealt with on I'LL KEEP IT COUNTRY, Cory Keefe has that precious knack of interpreting classic or new traditional country in an engaging and appealing way. This is an album to put a smile on your face and raise the game that country can just be high quality popular music when executed in a simple and straightforward manner. 

Album Review: Neilson Hubbard - Digging Up The Scars

 

www.neilsonhubbard.com

Neilson Hubbard continues to bridge the gap between ace producer and acclaimed performer with the release of his second solo album in three years titled DIGGING UP THE SCARS. Such a level of recorded output sounds reasonable until you compare it to the countless albums where he has been at production helm. With this latest collection of songs, you do begin to think where the destiny of Neilson Hubbard may end up. Whether steering albums to a fruitful release or digging deep into his inner sanctum to serve up material like what we have here, the winners are those tuned into the wavelength of one of Nashville's most innovative and sought after operators. 

Like his previous record, CUMBERLAND ISLAND, Hubbard turns to his mate Ben Glover for help in the producing driving seat. A little role reversal than what normally happens, but I'm pretty sure these two guys know each others music inside out to smooth out the issues and draw the organic riches to the surface. 

For an album like DIGGING UP THE SCARS, the release day is merely a firing shot to bed in for the long haul. You wouldn't expect Neilson Hubbard to record an album that can be drunk in one gulp. This will take time and is certainly not one to be discarded, but maybe instant gratification is not on the menu. Trust this artistic heavyweight to deliver and the odds of ultimate engagement will tumble. 

Album Review: Honey and the Bear - Journey Through the Roke

 

www.honeyandthebear.co.uk

Honey and the Bear are a Suffolk-based duo comprising of husband and wife combo Lucy and Jon Hart. They join a lengthy and distinguished list of outfits in a similar set up across the contemporary folk music genre and are certainly an act that matches up well with what the best has to offer. You could easily add that their third release and second full album has such a seasoned sound to it that it is likely to rub shoulders with those usually in the running for the annual awards the industry bestows on its luminaries. Ultimately JOURNEY THROUGH THE ROKE is an album that probes, illustrates, reflects and explores, all within a solid template that is true to the folk music core of instrument diversity. 

The first thing you learn from peering behind the scenes of Lucy and Jon's work is the word 'roke' is an old East Anglian word referring to a fog emanating from the marshes of a part of England that partly due to to its flatland demeanour is often forgotten. However with advocates like Honey and the Bear uncovering the stories, lore and issues, the area can flourish at least within the ear and minds of those tuned in to this record. 

It barely takes seconds into the opening track to introduce the beauty of the voices and the purity of an effective harmony. '3 Miles out' is the archetypal folk story song that is engaging to read about and then subsequently brought to life with a musical soundtrack. The watery theme to this song is replicated later in the album as the duo comb the East Anglian coast for song inspiration. 

JOURNEY THROUGH THE ROKE certainly doesn't leave the punter shortchanged with twelve tracks lasting in excess of fifty minutes and a host of instrument inclusions peppering the canvas. The Hart's take the songwriting co-credit on all but one of the tracks. You can't have a folk album without the obligatory traditional piece and Lucy excels on vocal lead as they re-interpret the Irish oldie 'My Lagon Love'.

On a couple of occasions, the duo do expand from the focussed area of their intent with a tribute to David Attenborough in 'Life on Earth' and celebrating mixing with other cultures on their travels in 'Sweet Honey'. In fact the first of this duo is among the tracks that catch the ear prominently on first listen with its catchy credentials. You could even allude that we head in a slightly Americana direction in the latter. Elsewhere there are further features on environmental issues in 'Buried in Ivy' and 'Unless We Start It', to once again fall in line with a common folk agenda of tackling the green agenda through the powerful medium of song. 

Outside the aforementioned tracks to date, there is a hugely appealing and almost dark soulful feel to the splendid 'The Miller' where the Tide Mill' in Woodbridge is brought to the fore in song. 

On the way to sealing their place among the lofty ranks of leading female-male folk duos plying the club, festival and arty scene, Honey and the Bear deliver an ode to locations, land, story and cause. JOURNEY THROUGH THE ROKE raises numerous thought provoking moments while revealing a talented duo at one with what they intend to achieve. This is definitely a record that achieves in reaching its audience in fine fettle and sinks into the psyche like all good folk albums do. 

Album Review: MG Boulter - Clifftown

 

www.mgboulter.co.uk

When MG Boulter is operating in the shadows he is enabling others to shine with his subtly crafted musicianship and deft contributions to projects fully appreciative of his input. On the other hand there are moments when he moves from the sidelines to centre stage and commands an audience to sit up and take note. He did this superbly in 2016 with the strong album WITH WOLVES THE LAMBS WILL LIE and now five years later the thoroughly engaging and conceptual CLIFFTOWN  throws an intriguing and glowing light on MG Boulter the performing singer-songwriter. 

On the back of 2021 albums by Jack Cade and Morning Bride, this is another record strongly defined by the fascinating facade of an English seaside town. Without too much implicitness, we are informed that Clifftown is a fictional place based on Southend-on-Sea, a place close to the heart and life of Essex-based multi facetted artist MG Boulter. From this starting point, the songwriting tackles subjects poised at contrasting angles and through alternate lens providing a curious insight into what exists on the exterior and interior of a fading facade. 

By the time the dozen tracks take their leave on the A127,  the listener is well versed on themes such as a subterranean escape in 'Nights at the Aquarium', the plight of the homeless in 'The Slow Decline' and and in a different stratosphere 'Fan of the Band' acting as a tribute to the local pub rock scene that once spawned acts such as Dr, Feelgood and Eddie and the Hot Rods' 

You can quite easily place MG Boulter on the edge of the folk scene, capable of mixing with the core and the alt. In the past he has worked with diverse acts as Simone Felice (plus the Duke and the King project) and Emily Portman and Coracle. One similarity spiralling out of the opening tracks is a likeness to Blue Rose Code in a spate of Essex meets Edinburgh. 'Midnight Movies' is the said track and peers out to a town at night. This is immediately followed by one of the albums's standout moments when Boulter sinks a little into indie-rock mode to deliver the acutely observational song 'Soft White Belly'.

CLIFFTOWN is a fascinating collection of songs full of threads and a deep seeking desire to dig deep and explore. MG Boulter uses the breadth of his craft and guile to curate an album absorbing in reception and accomplished in presence. Whatever he puts his creative mind and talented skills to usually reap rewards, and this assertion rings true in an album rich in such quality. 

Album Review: Vanessa Peters - Modern Age

www.vanessapeters.com

Vanessa Peters may have sprung to the attention of many with the release of her 2018 album FOXHOLE PRAYERS, but a little delving reveals an artist the veteran of records now totalling double figures in numbers. Additionally, she is a relentless live performer and very much one with an international antennae. An Austin based Texan Italophile is an apt geographical description of her operating status and this is reflected in the recording location and band composition that led to MODERN AGE being the latest offering to an established fanbase. 

Peters returns to the realm of original songwriter on this latest album with a sound more in tune with indie-pop/rock sensibility than straight up Americana which she may have dabbled in on previous records. Her most recent output was a covers effort aptly titled MIXTAPE, but the new album is entirely made up of Vanessa Peters solo compositions. To commit these lyrical creations to song, she heavily leans on a conventional set up of guitars, keys and drums. Together they merge into a powerful set of upbeat numbers that possess an inbuilt energy and zestful demeanour. 'Modern Age', the song and lead off track, and 'Crazymaker' are the two songs peeled off for single release promotion and travel a fair distance in defining the album. My personal favourite from the collection is the ravishing 'The Band played On', a song bestowed with anthem-like appeal and a vibrant presence swirling out of the speakers. 

A striking pop art cover adds value to an overall package and is likely an effective use of budget to promote a record that has a feel of crossing the ages with a sound that you could quite easily link to numerous points across the last forty years. 

Like many albums surfacing in 2021, there is a lockdown tenacity in the resolve to get them made and a perceived determination is easily detected from the high standard fare on offer. Vanessa Peters obviously knows the ropes as equally as her peers who excel in this sound that straddles the genres and MODERN AGE is a record held together by its strength while periodically exploding in a barrage of well-structured indie rock. An album primed for praise within a fanbase and a propensity to reach out in further directions as well. 

Album Review: Jason McNiff - Dust of Yesterday

 

www.jasonmcniff.com

Jason McNiff is a highly respected English singer songwriter accruing much praise for his intrinsic finger picking guitar style and often literary focused approach to lyrical conveyance. In his seventh album scanning a period close to twenty years, DUST OF YESTERDAY sees McNiff in fine form as he uses this release to look back and commit some key moments of his life to the permanence of a recorded song. 

On a record where cello and violin feature succinctly to complement the heavily Bert Jansch influenced  guitar playing, McNiff commits this effort to nine tracks including one reflecting upon an unconventional train trip ('A Load Along'), time spent as a Flamenco guitarist in 'Damaged Woman' and 'Mary Jane' which is probably best left to the imagination. 

The depth and attributes to DUST OF YESTERDAY are likely to fall favour with those previously hooked in to his music. Additionally, there is milage in this album finding more fans for Jason McNiff as the tentacles of promotion expand the reach. While shoring up your core is always wise for an independent artist, there is no harm in seeking new admirers. On this front , this south coast based artist is fully equipped with the armoury to win over folks inspired by guitar spun tunes akin to those generated from the greats of English folk and its strays into rock territory. 

One final note to end on is McNiff contemplating that memory is something anchored in the present and not necessarily confined to the past. Wise words indeed from one composing some impressively interesting and spellbinding music. 

Album Review: Jesse Aycock - Jesse Aycock

 

www.hortonrecords.org

My recognition of Jesse Aycock began three years ago when he accompanied Carter Sampson on her UK tour that included a gig at Birmingham's Kitchen Garden. On that evening he showed a glimpse of his performing talent in an opening duo set with fellow touring co-partner Lauren Barth alongside his well renowned playing prowess when backing the main performance. Since then his name has turned up on several other projects often emanating from his home state of Oklahoma and he contributed one of the prime moments on last year's Back to Paradise album celebrating Tulsa's artists.

Now is the time for Jesse Aycock to command centre stage and truly show what he can deliver when granted an extensive canvas. Although he has recorded albums backdating to at least 2005, solo projects have often been sporadic leaving the bulk of the time being a hugely in-demand session and touring musician. With a touch of role reversal, this self-titled album released on his usual label Horton Records sees Aycock rule the roost and add his own take on the country rock legacy.

Within a personal and vulnerable demeanour, Aycock has tapped into rock's mild and moody mode dispelling the myth that thirteen is an unlucky number by acutely structuring his album around that number of largely temperate songs. In fact when you reach the end of the record, the defining feel is one of burrowing deep down a rabbit hole of mellow sounds that prove the perfect vehicle for Aycock's softly conveyed vocal style. 

While the album as an entity is an enticing listen, there are three tracks that propel the appeal further. As we approach the midpoint, the utterly gorgeous 'Sadder Than a Sunset' with its country folk roots feel has the ability to bring the strong to their knees. On the other side of album's pivotally placed track, the more rockier and upbeat 'Past Life', lies another standout in the delicate and breezy number 'Roll South', warming the cockles with a summery feel. To balance out the tempo, the third track on the virtual podium is the psychedelic booster song 'Under the Gun', one syphoned off for promotion via the official video.

Without sounding too lazy in association, there are intermittent connotations of Neil Young and The Beatles, the latter most profoundly in the floaty number 'Passing Days'. Among a raft of hazy, dreamy, trippy, delicate tracks, the odd fiery effort ignites the template, perhaps no finer than 'High Hopes'. One impression that never leaves you is that this record would not be out of place in the parade of fine albums that defined a stretch of early Americana from the late sixties to the mid seventies. One that seemed to elevate higher the further west you went. 

Some may construe that this Jesse Aycock album is ripe for connoisseurs of classic Americana country rock. Whilst not in a position to concur with that suggestion, it is certainly one to lose yourself in along totally owning the atmosphere it generates, the mood it induces and the landscape painted.

 

Album Review: West of Texas - Heartache, Hangovers & Honky Tonks

A country fan once implored that they don't want tinges, shades and blurred lines, just something that is true to the core and straight down the middle with no evidence of deviation. That said fan would wholly concur with the new album from West of Texas who operate direct from the label on multiple fronts. That label begins with the band hailing from California, so no debate with the West of Texas moniker although we may have to skip over New Mexico and Arizona. Next up, it is hard to go anywhere other than down country way with a title of HEARTACHE, HANGOVERS & HONKY TONKS, an alliteration straight out of the GCSE playbook for Brit readers and one that casts any implied nature aside. The fate that seals the deal is 52 minutes of glorious country music that is entirely trad all over and totally raw to the bone.

West of Texas is the brainchild of Jerry Zinn, who never lost sight of his dream when you learn that this record had its roots over a decade ago. They say good things come to those who wait and this album bows down to that saying literally. Circumstances may have dictated the pace and trajectory of this record, but the irony is a pandemic may have hurried it to its eventual conclusion. When a finished record comes endorsed by Western Red, you know it's going to be ripe with absolute appeal. By the way Western Red hosts a wonderful podcast named If That Ain't Country and adopts a deep cut approach to traditional country music, honky tonk and western swing. 

By cutting straight to the point, the fifteen songs packing HEARTACHE, HANGOVERS & HONKY TONKS to the hilt read like a compendium of country music subjects - drinkin', cheatin', heart breakin' (don't forget the obligatory omissive apostrophe). There are actually sixteen tracks with lead number 'Whatcha Drinkin' getting a radio edit to cut out the naughty word. If you think fiddle, steel, a combo melody of slow/medium/quick tempo and a sound swaying between Western swing, Tex-Mex and pure dance hall are ingredients to the ideal album, then you are in the right place. 

Jerry Zinn and his team of ace players are on top of their game throughout. One name who jumped out from the credits was Grant Langston, who himself delivered a set of stellar albums a few years ago which found their way overseas. Another couple of familiar names associated with Jerry Zinn are Wayne 'The Train' Hancock and James Intveld. Two classic artists who illuminated the rough and ready Americana UK festival in the mid 2000s before the term Americana adopted its hipster cloak. 

You get the drift now that HEARTACHE, HANGOVERS & HONKY TONKS is right up the alley of the country purist. Jerry Zinn or to be strictly accurate West of Texas are to be unequivocally commended for sticking in there and ultimately delivering a hot 'n' spicy boot scootin' top notch record. One that Western Red is likely to dissect on a future edition of If That Ain't Country. 

Album Review: Run Katie Run - Running on Love

 

www.runkatierun.com

Run Katie Run is the curious title of a new band corralling around the talents of Kate Coleman who has teamed up with four other players to serve up a vivacious, fetching and fast spinning short collection of genre-bending songs. RUNNING ON LOVE may or may not keep those who choose to label genres guessing, but any time exploring, pondering or just plainly enjoying the music is worthwhile. This Atlanta based operation has morphed out of Coleman's solo work and duo adventure with husband Corey who contributes guitar to the record. The six tracks forming this debut EP navigate around their own individual axes with three of them being peeled off for promotion as single releases. 

A common feature across the EP is Coleman's bright and breezy vocals injecting a touch of sparkle into the proceedings. They are forthright and embracingly positive making this a record to turn to when you are in a feel good spirit. Coleman is also the principle songwriter taking the solo credit on five of the six numbers including the spritely lead off piece. '15 Minutes' may be a well trodden subject in art, but the musical celebration here lights up the road. 

Numerous plays of the EP that only asks for twenty four minutes of your precious listening time does suggest that the opening track is quite a domineering presence. A mash up of Americana, roots rock, indie-pop and alternative has been a phrase used to support this record and is probably not too far off a subjective mark. Second track 'No Way Out' is itself a concoction of styles in its three and a half minute existence. Campbell does display a touch of vocal versatility in the slightly rockier 'Stolen Time' that acted as the second single and occupies third place in the running order of RUNNING OF LOVE.

'Kinda Hoping' has a little more of a pop pretence, though largely in an accessible than populist nature. 'Stay or Leave' takes things in an unexpected funky direction. This gives the band an opportunity to extend their repertoire of generating a diverse soundtrack. The title track draws things to a close with 'Running on Love' rolling out as the third single and signing things off in a way that attempts to pull the sound together in a conclusive direction. 

RUNNING ON LOVE has a finely spun appeal to it. Run Katie Run in full tandem flex their musical muscles admirably and we are left with a record securely lodged in the credit territory of a busy music listener's pile. An artist can ask no more than make a mark and hopefully log a few sales.

Album Review: Ben de la Cour - Shadow Land

 

www.bendelacour.com

What do Johnny, Billy's mum, Billy and Tucker all have in common in the opening throes of this album? The clue is in the album title as SHADOW LAND is a place where dark mysterious things happen and one where death and murder is in the air. We explicitly know what happened to Johnny in the opening track, but the demise of the other three is shrouded in more conjecture with a little bit of imagination leading to grisly conclusions. There is a singular streak of morbidity running through this album, the fourth release by East Nashville artist Ben de la Cour, and it is constructed with all the power and finesse of a first rate singer-songwriter. 

This is an album straight from the folk-Americana playbook of lyric-laden tough revealing story based songs. It flexes its muscles in the style of Michael McDermott whilst weaving with the poetic grace of Danny Schmidt. On a casual dip in basis, the songs flourish with an air of strength and guile, but dive headlong first into the lyrical inner sanctum of Ben de la Cour and your mind is enriched in a haze of carefully crafted songs spinning tales from the other side of the tracks. 

The pick from the first half a dozen songs off this twelve track release toys between the explicit story songs 'High Heels Down the Holler' and 'Amazing Grace (Slight Return)'. Both have twists to stretch the mind. On a tempo front, the former of the aforementioned duo possesses a kinda death march feel, while things slightly get more upbeat and rockier with 'In God We Trust...All Others Pay Cash' and the pivotal title track 'Shadow Land'.

In the album's second half, the death count increases to six with Joey taking is own life in 'Swan Dive' and the subject of 'Anderson's Small Ritual' finally succumbing to his ills in somewhat peculiar circumstances. This portion of the album houses the two most contrasting sonic templates. 'Basin Lounge', the album's only co-write, is pure rock 'n' roll as we are taken down New Orleans way with a visit to a less than salubrious dive bar. At the other end of the scale, the two tracks that close out the album - 'Harmless Indian Medicine Blues' and 'Valley of the Moon' - display a dour demeanour and attach a scratchy sound. 

There was a glint of some positivity in a line in the opening track 'God's only Son' where de la Cour appeals 'I'm gonna claw my way back to heaven', but the only evidential moment of pure reflection is in 'From Now On'. What is evident throughout is a clever trait of blending in some simple yet effective chorus parts. This clearly demonstrates that we are in the presence of a seriously impressive songwriter.

From a wider sound perspective, the listener is treated to horns, mandolin, fiddle, guitars and assorted keys in the sound mix and together they create the perfect backdrop to a batch of sterling songs. Not surprising given de la Cour's background as a former Kerrville New Folk award recipient and his previous records such as 2018's HIGH COST OF LIVING.

SHADOW LAND is not going to deliver you a bundle of laughs, but when you are writing in this mode the reality is grim, dark and hard hitting. This is an album suitably crafted for the shaded patch of Americana music where the untold stories get narrated. Ben de la Cour is a master of this and has extracted every sinew of his vaunted talent to record an album terrifyingly dark and hugely rewarding. 

This album did see the light of day in the US in 2020, but gets its official European release on 9th April 2021.

Album Review: Katie Spencer - Hurt in Your Heart (EP)

 

www.katiespencer.net

Katie Spencer has drawn widespread plaudits for her intrinsic guitar playing and moody atmospheric song delivery style. Comparisons to John Martin have been forthcoming and it was of no surprise to see his work re-imagined in this latest offering from the East Yorkshire based artist. 

HURT IN YOUR HEART is a short three track EP where Spencer has teamed up with two old timer Martyn accomplices in bass player Alan Thomson and keyboardist Spencer Cozens. These two additional pieces have added oxygen to Spencer's work as she tackles 'Hurt in Your Heart', 'Couldn't Love You More' and 'Small Hours'. The result of this outing is representative of her pristine talents and should really lead you onto her earlier records - the lead off EP GOOD MORNING SKY from 2017 and 2019's debut album WEATHER BEATEN. 

Having loved these two release and seeing her play live twice in Coventry and Beardy Folk Festival, the work of Katie Spencer cannot be highly recommended enough. HURT IN YOUR HEART is another addition to her growing armoury and one that strengthens her appeal as a huge talent set to go very far in the acoustic folk and roots scene.

Album Review: Jason Ringenberg - Rhinestoned

 www.jasonringenberg.com

You can't keep a good man down and Jason Ringenberg is one of the best of them. Boosted by the reception and satisfaction of his 2018 album STAND TALL, everybody's favourite cowpunk, witty, incisive, intelligent lyricist is back with another record as deep and broad as its predecessor. RHINESTONED is a passionate release depicting every inch the portrayal of Jason Ringenberg, namely historical curator, proud custodian of a style and blessed with a cavernous conscious. The starting point of this album may have been some of the leftovers of the previous record, but it has soon developed its own entity and matches up well with what Ringenberg has produced in a long career whether heading the Scorchers, playing up to the Farmer Jason moniker or just the plain solo act with something to offer. 

This album has all the distinctive hallmarks of a Jason Ringenberg record from a vocal perspective as well as the routes chosen for the material. Of the four tracks from the gifted dozen that the main man didn't have a hand in writing, there is a non-surprising Hank cover in 'You Win Again' and a fine Carter Family song in 'The Storms are on the Ocean' where Krisi Rose lends a vocal hand steering it in a folk direction. Completing the quartet are a diverse pairing of 'Time Warp', an Ozark Mountain Daredevils original, and 'resurrecting' a traditional Easter hymn in 'Christ the Lord is Risen Today'. Jason Ringnberg certainly keeps you on your toes. 

Four of the originals on the album may not be paired together in the running order, but have some synergy when split into twos. 'The Freedom Rides' where heroes of the Civil Rights uprising in 1961 are celebrated and 'I Rode with Crazy Horse' are both acute examples of the past being delved into and  Ringenberg re-surfacing with a song that educates as much as entertains, The ultimate for a socially sensitive and historically responsible conscientious songwriter. Connecting the album title in a pair of tracks sees Ringenberg lament a lost beloved city in 'Nashville Without Rhinestones' and proudly proclaim why he got hooked on country music in the first place with the evocative 'Stoned on Rhinestones'. Modern country music and Jason Ringenberg may not always be on the same page, but this old cowboy knows the ropes and is synonymous with the ethics if not the 2021 practicalities. 

To further prove the last point, a good ole cheating songs appears in the penultimate running order slot with 'Keep That Promise' and 'My Highway Songs' at the midpoint is 100% autobiographical and a staple for any country songwriting master class. To date Jason Ringeberg has operated alone in the writing stakes or plundered the work of others, but the two final tracks are co-writing efforts with 'Before Love and War' kicking things off and 'Window Town' bringing the curtain down forty-nine minutes after the engine roared into action. This collusion was indicative to how many other players were gradually enlisted to make this a wholly collaborative album in the end. 

With a touch of snarling new wave coating the traditional country and progressive Americana, RHINESTONED is unmistakable Jason Ringenberg at his solo best. Passionate, entertaining and downright enthralling; three words that go a long way to summing his music up. 

Album Review: Hope Dunbar - Sweetheartland

www.hopedunbarmusic.com

With a toughened interior and a glowing shell, the brand new album from Hope Dunbar adds another stellar release into a mix of sharpened lyrics and cutting sincerity. From start to finish, SWEETHEARTLAND accepts the challenge of delivering songs that depict a world aching to be sung about. Life in many forms evolve in the spirit of model Americana songwriting cradled by a soundtrack serenely curated and a voice projecting the depth of the material dealt. This second full length album from an artist naming Nebraska and Nashville as contrasting locations in its birth has proved a fruitful wait. The journey is documented as commencing in mid 2018 during a period of reflection, but metaphorically it likely draws on a wider span of influence. Now the wait is over and Hope Dunbar can join a pantheon of songwriters plying their trade in the wake of some sensational peers and herself playing a blinding game in raising the bar. 

The themes on SWEETHEARTLAND are stark, reactionary and pontificating a symbolic future. We all know in this genre sad songs offer a steely strength and Dunbar enacts this as well as fighting for her gender and paying respect to an ultimate pillar of contemporary poetic realism, who is sadly no longer with us. She proves a staunch ally for her gender in exposing a cheat in 'What Were You Thinking' and shoring up an under appreciated role in 'Woman Like Me'. 

The album starts on a blessing foot with 'Sweetheartland' and ends just over half an hour later with the songwriting deconstructing a role by posing some unanswered questions. 'More' in the closing slot is the culmination of an album getting deeper by the track. From an explicit midpoint where a clever homage in 'John Prine' cheekily asks for some advice, the songs get slightly more implicit in meaning apart from symbolic titles such as 'Evacuate' and 'The Road Is'. As satisfying as basking in Dunbar's effective delivery style, which resembles Brandi Carlile in parts especially 'Evacuate' and elsewhere playing to the tune of the 90s female country vocalists who thrusted the genre upwards, there is much to savour in dissecting the prowess of the lyrics. There is no doubt that a songwriter would be humbled by close adoring attention.

Hope Dunbar appears to have reached her destination for the time being, but we all know songwriters rarely stand still. However let's pause for a moment and reflect on an album close to the bone, straight from the heart and right on an intelligent spot. SWEETHEARTLAND not only draws level with its peers, but has the superiority to power ahead. A prudent example of not wasting an inch of a compact template. 

Album Review: Charlie Treat - The Comet

 www.charlietreat.com

Treat by name, treat by nature was too good an opportunity to miss, but there is definitely a saleable streak running through the music of Charlie Treat. THE COMET is one of those records that revisits popular music in its heyday with a host of tunes conforming to a sole aim of hitting a listening sweet spot. Of course music is a lot more fragmented in 2021 and artists like Charlie Treat have to pedal harder to find an audience, often tethered to a small team searching for that niche.

Throughout its forty minute playing time, this album rarely relents from a feel good mode, whilst creating a heady dose of extravagant roots pop. You will need to inject a little energy in keeping up with the twelve tracks projecting an artist rotating like a cat on a hot tin roof. Yet a buoyant sound works wonders giving proof that traditional instruments like harmonica, fiddle and brass can filter into a showtime experience ripe for the theatre environment. 

There is no harm in an album getting off to a cracking start and 'Ain't Gonna Be The One' delivers perfectly for Treat, ensuring vibrant fiddle and brass in a lively uptempo number emerge as the ideal lift off. As the album manoeuvres through its content you get the retro soulful pop piece ('Two Best People'), the quintessential love song ('Tune as Pretty as You'), the groovy funky number ('Dollar for Dollar') and the catchy stomping epic ('Dancing at the Bar (The Quarantine Song)').

Outside the opener which ultimately proves a tough act to follow, the hot on the tails challenger falls to the infectious rock opera feel to 'Drive My Blues Away', which for me anchors the second half of this record. Maybe the album eventually falls short on a breakthrough track to lift it away from the niche, but that need not detract from this being a record to garner many fruitful listens from those drawn to its qualities. 

Charlie Treat is a singer-songwriter from Nashville and the embodiment of a 'Music City' not restricted to genre, but the perfect home for scene hopping operators tapping into the general vibes of residing in creative communities. THE COMET is a made for measure tonic for those yearning for a slice of updated rock 'n' roll with a little jive thrown in. The sound is brash, bold and positive. It fizzes, shakes and lands a blow. Job done by the artist, over to an audience to be found, which in my book is forthcoming. 

http://charlietreat.com/thecome

Album Review: Annabelle Chvostek - String of Pearls

 

www.annabellemusic.com

In a wave of old time panache and continental cultural collision  Annabelle Chvostek returns to the active state of a recording musician with her brand new album STRING OF PEARLS. This is the latest release from a lengthy career that has drawn this Canadian a wealth of acclaim both at home and overseas. While there has always been a streak of folk music in her style albeit frequently sprinkled with eclectic gold dust, this time we are taken on a mystical journey of tango, vaudeville, cabaret and hot swing jazz as the triple heritage of Eastern Europe, Uruguay and Canada are tossed and stirred in a melting pot of mouthwateringly inventive music. 

Across the twelve tracks skillfully woven into this collection, Chvostek flits between the English and French language alongside selecting a pair of covers to sit among those she has written including a couple of co-writes. There is something cathartic about listening to a sensual song in another language where the words fuel nothing more than your imagination. 'D'etre humane' is one of three songs sung in French and frequently sits on top of the pile when deciding where the album peaks. For the non-bilingual, 'human being' is the literal translation, just as 'I saw you last night' is for album opener 'Je 't'ais vue heir soir'. The other language deviant is actually one of the covers in 'Belleville Rendezvous'.

For those who picked up on Annabelle Chvostek following her brief stint with Canadian folk band The Wailin' Jennys in the mid 2000s, the journey has been a long winding road of discovery and mystique. This new album is certainly as interesting as her two previous efforts RISE and BE THE MEDIA which both received high praise. She has a wonderful ear for curating a decisive sound and the top team assembled pulls it all together to imprint this album as one of the most fascinating projects to date. 

Back to the tracks, and the other cover is a version of the Tom Waites' song 'Just the Right Bullets'. The temptation to play both versions back to back was too tempting to miss and it is probably a compliment to state that Chvostek's effort challenges as much as the original. On a more popular level, 'Walls' has been peeled off for promotional content and creates as much impact as the romantic jazz influenced title track 'String of Pearls'. 

The Uruguayan connection starts with long time spouse and collaborator Fernando Rosa and extends to Montivdeo being one of the recording locations with a number of top South American players invited to join in. The Canadian input comes holistically from the production alongside individual contributions. The old world scent is more subtle and likely from a perception of influencing this type of music especially in the way that the distinctly South American bandoneon added to the Waites' cover does have similarities to the accordion and its Eastern European connotations. In the latter stages the accordion is the credited accompaniment to 'The Fool', another track adding weight to this assertion. 

In some ways it is not surprising to get something as creatively diverse from Annabelle Chvostek, and the beauty of this album is the way it exhumes music as a unifying experience. Folk conservatism is banished from the room when this Juno nominated singer-songwriter and multi instrumentalist hits the boards. STRING OF PEARLS is a curious step into a widening world, and equates to a release that leads the listener into a cross pollenated world of supremely confident adeptly curated music.